Netflix Reviews in Los Gatos, CA

I have been working at Netflix full-time for more than 3 years

Pros – 1) Great culture and people.
2) Lots of freedom with appropriate level of responsibility.
3) Pay top of market.
4) No vacation policy which adds to the freedom.
5) Love the business we're in and how we're changing an industry
6) No politics or at least not very noticeable
7) Again, great people!

Cons – 1) No more ESPP offered

Advice to Senior Management – 1) Bring back ESPP

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

I have been working at Netflix full-time for more than 3 years

Pros – Good Pay & Fact paced work environment

Cons – Fast paced a work environment and no additional perks

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

I have been working at Netflix full-time

Pros – -Lots of room for innovation. The technologies are fairly new and broad, and there is no bureaucracy and requirements to get approval from top management. Innovation can start at the IC level.
-Great compensation. Talent is rewarded generously. I started the job on a large salary, then within 6 months, my manager decided to give me a hefty raise to reward my contributions.
-Nice work environment: bleeding edge hardware, new devices always available to play with even before they hit the market, kitchenette well stocked with snacks, drinks and fruits
-Smart coworkers
-Transparency about company strategies all the way from exec level to you direct lead level

Cons – -This company isn't great for people who are starting their career. Training is minimal, and the expectation is that you take educating and training yourself into your own hands, which could be a bit of a challenge to some. If you do not possess the knowledge and the talent to be a good problem solver, don't expect management to train you on solving things.
-Job stability could be a concern at times - but as long as you continue to innovate, and stay professional, it shouldn't be a big concern
-The packaged free lunch isn't on par with the buffets at other silicon valley software companies like Facebook and Google - but it's still free though, so can't complain much

Advice to Senior Management – We're the reigning champions of video delivery, to all platforms. We reach more than 25 million households. We have so much potential for developing new innovations. Invest more in research and trials of radically new ideas. I'm not talking about incremental improvements to the streaming experience, I'm talking about making our customers say "WOW!", I'm talking about disrupting markets. Take risks! But please don't make another Quikster - that was pretty stupid, like you all said :)

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

I have been working at Netflix full-time for more than 3 years

Pros – Brilliant co-workers, opportunities to have a direct impact, minimal nit-picking bureaucracy or corporate policies, dynamic energy as the company continually evolves. Company does pretty well as removing doofuses and not hiring jerks. For the saavy employee, you can move into some great opportunities as the company grows and adapts. Upper management is very transparent (even when sometimes they don't make the best call -- e.g. Qwikster).

Cons – Dynamic environment does not work for a 'do my work and go home' employee or those who just want to show up and be told what to do. Middle and lower management can be a crap shoot -- seek out a great boss (there's many at Netflix) and avoid the bad ones (unfortunately, Netflix has those too). There is a level of 'playing the game' but not to an extent that I'd say is greater than anywhere else. Corporate philosophy does not emphasize coaching (but does not ban it) -- so you need to seek out your own mentors or strengthen your team (if you're a lead) by figuring out career/skills grown on your own.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

I have been working at Netflix full-time

Pros – Fast-pace, great compensation, open communication

Cons – Chaotic at times and could use more structure

Advice to Senior Management – Freedom is great but don't forget the responsibility part

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

I have been working at Netflix full-time

Pros – * Best place if you just want to work with great technically capable folks.
* 15-20% higher pay but if you actually consider everything, it might not be that big of a deal. Check what will be in-hand salary after taxes because taxes also go high with salary.
* Somewhat transparent workplace but at times higher management takes ridiculous decisions like Quickster, what the hell....
* Reed gets thing right most of the time (except Quickster) and understand what he is doing.

Cons – * Worst place where all technically capable folks are also so heavy on political games within the team. Also it depends on which team you are part of. My general observation is, larger the team greater the politics being played within.
* IT IS LITERALLY TRUE THAT IT IS CULTURE OF FEAR, no matter how talented you are. I have seen ppl being walked out they were far more talented than other mediocre engineers surviving there for 3-4 years just because they lick the managers a*s and I have seen managers loving it being licked :)
* Few managers who came from Google or some other similar companies, think that they know everything in the world and act as if they rule the world but actually they are literally dumb a*s when it comes to real work.
* They claim it is all rockstar engineers and the fire who are not but I have seen ppl surviving for ages not even knowing what they did for all these years at Netflix and they are pure mediocre engineers.
* My advice to engineers would be if you are happy with the work what you are doing right now or with other offers in hand, don't fall for the salary trap, it is merely an illusion.

Advice to Senior Management – * Gets rid of all mediocre managers, directors and those stupid engineers.
* Change the culture of fear from its root because that creates so much politics inside. I have never seen such a political environment in my 10 yrs career.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

I worked at Netflix full-time for more than 3 years

Pros – Smart co-workers with the basics of a great corporate culture.
Lack or management direction means lots of job flexibility (back-handed pro?).
Good product that has potential.

Cons – Lacking a future strategic vision from the exec team.
Not an innovation culture for engineers, more of a tinkering culture with mindless obsession to A/B testing.
Didn't learn from the Qwikster debacle and hasn't returned to a focus on customers - they're just numbers on a chart to management.

Advice to Senior Management – Realize Netflix needs to be more than just a content middle-man to succeed long term.

I had a great ride at Netflix up to the point where Reed torpedoed the company with the Qwikster idiocy. Despite the obsession with testing user experience, almost nothing was done to test consumer reaction to the Qwikster plan before it was announced (haphazardly at that).

Put customers first again and deliver the BEST combined streaming and DVD experience possible. Despite the religious conviction to kill the DVD business, wait on doing this until the rest of the population is ready for it. Forcing the issue is hurting Netflix in the short term, and this damage is opening an opportunity for competition.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend – I'm not optimistic about the outlook for this company

I have been working at Netflix full-time for more than 3 years

Pros – Incredibly talented coworkers, opportunity to make a difference (your work is really seen in other parts of the company), very interesting area of work, top company in the world in its field, excellent compensation.

Cons – Very specific areas of work, it might be difficult to transition to other groups or do anything different if you are not a fit.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

I have been working at Netflix full-time for more than a year

Pros – Hands down the best place I've ever worked. They treat you like an adult. You are allowed to determine your path at the company and given the freedom to do what you think is best. You are also awarded with above-market salaries.

Cons – People who need a lot of hand holding will not do well.

Advice to Senior Management – Keep doing what you are doing.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

I worked at Netflix full-time for less than a year

Pros – You're given independence and the ability to do your job how you see fit - some of the time. Most of the time management runs around like a chicken with their collective head cut off and priorities constantly change.

Cons – - The salaries are competitive, but not particularly high, despite what their so called slide deck proclaims. Keep in mind that your stock purchase and "bonus" is included, so $160k at Google is the same as $210k at Netflix.

- Constant threats of firing, a culture of fear and throwing other employees under the bus to save your own skin. The threats of firing lead to crunch and absurd stress levels.

- Employees aren't as intelligent as other high tech firms, they're hired more for the ability to play corporate politics than technical skill.

- To follow on the above, the average stay here seems to be about a year. Understand that Netflix isn't an engineering company, it's an entertainment company and a fragile streaming infrastructure and clunky front end is built to consume that entertainment. But content is king, not the technology, and it never will be.

Advice to Senior Management – I'd recommend working on technology a bit more. With the continual turnover and exodus of engineers, the technology and products are a house of cards.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend – I'm not optimistic about the outlook for this company